Chokehold
by awkward-nerdy-person
Summary: (Three-shot) Sequel to The Mockingjay's Daughter. Freesia and Peeta are baking Freesia's favorite bread. Reviews are welcome. Rated T for iffy violence. Sorry.
1. Choke

**A/N: So this is my first three-shot (possibly only two-shot, but who knows) and it is a sequel to The Mockingjay's Daughter. It isn't necessary to have read that first, but just know that Freesia is around sixteen or seventeen and she does know what her parents have went through. Reviews are welcome- Enjoy!**

* * *

I like when my father hums.

He rarely does so, and the same can always be said for my mother. Every once in a while, though, I'll catch him, like now, a soft little song leaving his lips as we work on making cinnamon-apple bread. My favorite.

I don't even realize that I'm humming along until I feel my father's eyes on me. I turn and look into-

Black. Flat black.

I don't even have time to react before I am slammed up against the wall, my father's arm across my neck, his usually-comforting voice now growling into my ear.

"Where is she?"

I gasp. I can barely breathe. "Who?" I manage to squeak out.

His arm lifts a tiny bit and my feet leave the ground, completely blocking my airway.

"I ASKED WHERE SHE WAS. I KNOW YOU KNOW WHERE SHE IS."

His voice is loud and violent in my ear and my heart nearly stops, both form lack of oxygen and from fear.

"TELL ME WHERE KATNISS EVERDEEN IS!" he yells, and spots start swimming before my eyes.

"Peeta!"

My mother's voice meets my ears. My father turns to look at her in the doorway.

"Let her go! Not real, Peeta, it's not real!" she starts saying.

My father's grip loosens and I black out. I'm not even aware of hitting the floor.

* * *

**A/N: Reviews are always welcome!**


	2. Cry

**A/N: Thanks to those of you that followed this story, my writer's block is subsiding so the final part shouldn't be too far off. This part is in Peeta's POV. Enjoy!**

* * *

What in hell's name have I done?

I was so careful, so careful to control it, to keep my demons away from my children. To make sure that they weren't becoming their demons.

And now they have.

I'd pinned Freesia to the wall, I'd choked her to unconsciousness and I'd let her fall to the floor like a ragdoll.

Katniss goes to her, she puts one of Freesia's arms around her shoulders and half drags, half carries her upstairs.

I follow her up at a safe distance, lest another flashback try to take me, even now.

Katniss puts Freesia to bed, and I hear her coughing, Katniss gently shushing her and telling her that she was okay, that it was over now.

She's such a wonderful mother. She's the best partner I could ask for.

If only I could say the same for myself.

* * *

A scream from down the hall shakes us out of our sleep. Katniss is out of bed before me, but I make it to Freesia's room before she does.

I gently shake her shoulders, telling her to wake up.

Her eyes fly open and she scrambles away, off the bed and into the corner, where she is curled up and trembling, begging me to not hurt her.

My heart shatters. Katniss comes to Freesia and wraps her in a hug. Freesia's eyes are squinted shut and flowing with tears as she clings to her mother.

I leave them and go to the hallway, where I slump to the floor against the wall.

She's afraid of me. My own, sweet, beautiful daughter was afraid of me and this was all my fault.

I'm not sure how long it is until Katniss comes out of Freesia's room, shutting the door behind her. She sees me on the floor.

"Peeta-" she starts.

"What have I done, Katniss?" I ask her.

She immediately kneels down beside me, taking my wrists in hers. "Peeta, she knows that this isn't your fault, she knows, remember?"

"She's still afraid of me," I whisper, "I still pinned her to the wall by her throat, Katniss; she has every right to be scared of me."

Katniss helps me up. "Peeta, you have the most unselfish, forgiving daughter a father could ask for. I know she'll talk to you in the morning."

I nod, defeated and tired.

* * *

**A/N: Reviews are welcome!**


	3. Speak

**A/N: Okay, it's the end… it took a while for this part to come out. I apologize if this sucks at tying up things. I'm really good at starting things, just not good at finishing. (See, that's why I write one shots.) But I hope you enjoy anyway. Reviews are welcome!**

* * *

It's been three days. Three whole days.

We haven't spoken since then.

He's back to normal now. But that doesn't mean that he can stay that way. And he knows it. I know it.

He never told me that my humming was a trigger. Although it makes sense, considering that my mom's humming is.

I don't want to be afraid of him, and I don't think that I am. I just want to have my dad back. But he avoids me at every cost now and he won't even look at me.

I give up. I curl up on the couch on the third day, thinking that I'll just never speak to my father again until I get my own house. Not in Victory Village, at least. I hug my knees to my chest, and then I hear my mother talking to him. Him refusing something. Her walking away.

I don't even look his way when he sits down next to me on the couch.

"Freesia," he starts.

I look at my toes, in the wool socks that I stole from him a while ago but haven't given back.

"Freesia, look at me. Please," he says.

I do, reluctantly.

"Freesia, I-" he starts, then pauses. "I worked so, so hard to keep my demons away from you and Dill. And I know that I haven't done the best job, but…" he trails off.

I hang my head. It's just so hard for him. And I'm not letting him in even though I want to.

"Freesia?" he says, reaching out towards me, and then hesitating.

Even now, he's afraid of hurting me. God dammit, if the Old Capitol was a person, I would have killed them many times over by now. They ruined my dad before he was even my dad.

I look at him. He looks on the verge of tears.

I crawl over to him and hug him, because if he's going to cry, I really don't want to see it. And I don't want him to see me cry either, and I know I'm about to.

He wraps his arms around me.

"I love you, Dad," I say to him.

"I love you, too, Freesia," he says.

* * *

**A/N: Reviews are welcome! Let me know if I should try another three-shot or four shot!**


End file.
